Every Rise & Recline chair we sell is built to order in Nottingham, about an hour and a quarter up the road from our Stratford-upon-Avon showroom. Nothing comes off a shelf in a warehouse. Your chair is cut, sewn, upholstered and built for you, and it's usually made and on its way within 15 to 20 working days of ordering.
We had a training day with Rise & Recline in October 2026, and they walked our team through exactly how a chair gets made. Here's what happens to your order, step by step.
1. Your order is checked and confirmed
Rise & Recline is a small company, so your order is handled by real people who know the chairs. Their sales team enters it onto their system, then a second person checks every measurement and option before sending us a written acknowledgement. We check that acknowledgement against what we measured you for, so any mistake is caught before a single piece of fabric is cut.
2. Materials are ordered the next day
The day after your order, their purchasing team orders your fabric, frame and foam and allocates your mechanism. The fabric arrives the following day.
3. Your frame is cut to your size
The frame shop is in-house. Your order gets a serial number, and a CNC machine cuts the frame for that one chair. If we've made your seat an inch taller or your arms half an inch higher, the frame is cut that way. The arms and wings are always cut to order, and the serial number is written on the bare frame so it stays with your chair all the way through the factory.
Rise & Recline are now working with a university to automate the sums. A system reads each order and works out every change in size, then sends it straight to the CNC machine. It means fewer manual calculations and fewer chances for an error.
4. The fabric is cut by hand, with scissors
This is the part that surprised our newest team member. Every panel on every Rise & Recline chair is still cut by hand with a pair of scissors.
- The cutters first find the top and bottom of the fabric. Velvet-style fabrics change colour depending on which way the pile runs, and patterns like florals have to run the same way on every panel.
- They lay wooden templates on the fabric, like jigsaw pieces, and chalk round them. If your arm is half an inch taller, they move the template half an inch.
- Each panel is marked with a little wax so everyone after them knows which way up it goes. If you ever spot a small yellow mark on an arm cap, that's what it is.
5. The cushions and pleats are sewn
The sewing team stitches the panels, the cushion sets and the pleats. On the scroll arm, every chair has the same number of pleats, finished with piping. Piping is the hardest way to finish upholstery, and you usually only see it on better-made chairs.
6. One upholsterer does your whole chair
A lot of people picture a production line, with one person doing left arms all day and another doing backs. Rise & Recline don't work that way. One upholsterer starts your chair and the same upholsterer finishes it.
That matters because everyone pulls fabric with a slightly different tension. One person doing the whole job means the tension and the gaps between pleats match across the chair. If you order two chairs and a sofa for the same room, the same upholsterer does all three, which can take them a day or a day and a half. Many of their upholsterers were taught by their dads and have done this all their working lives.
7. The chair is built
The builders fit the mechanism (the motors and frame that make it rise and recline), fit the seat box and pull the padded "duvet" layer over the top. Then they bolt on the arms and fit the back cushions.
8. Quality control, then the van
Every chair is checked before it leaves. If anything isn't right, such as a loose thread, it goes back to the upholsterer who made it to put right. It doesn't come to you. Finished chairs are bagged and loaded straight onto the van, usually the next morning.
Why this matters when you're choosing a chair
- It's made to fit you. We can change the seat height, depth and width, the arm height and the back height. See our complete guide to riser recliner chairs for how we measure you.
- It's quick for a bespoke chair. Usually 15 to 20 working days, and any of their fabrics comes within the same lead time.
- It's built to last. The frame and mechanism come with a five-year warranty.
- It's British made. Built in Nottingham, by people who have done it for years.
Before I worked at Active Mobility, Mike and I bought cheaper chairs and beds that didn't last. Once we understood user weights and proper sizing, we bought two Rise & Recline beds, each built for its user's weight. Mine is still going strong after more than 15 years. Mike's properly fitted chair lasted him over 10 years. (Tracy, Managing Director)
Try a Rise & Recline chair
We have Rise & Recline chairs in our Stratford-upon-Avon showroom, and we offer free home assessments within 75 miles. Please call first so we can make sure the right chair is ready for you: 01789 339 738.
See our made-to-measure Rise & Recline chairs
Frequently asked questions
Where are Rise & Recline chairs made?
In their own factory in Nottingham, in the UK.
How long does a Rise & Recline chair take?
Usually 15 to 20 working days. We'll give you a delivery date when you order.
Can I choose any fabric?
Yes. Any fabric in their range comes within the normal lead time.
Is the seat foam or sprung?
Foam as standard. A pocket sprung seat, which feels a little softer, is available at the same price. Just ask.
What warranty do I get?
Five years on the frame and mechanism.
